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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

When A Novel is Written And No One Is Around to Read It

At the end of Feburary, I said I would buy someone their book of choice if they named 10 female authors of color, who have written mysteries since 2009. I didn't think I would have to payout. But I was wrong. The winner wanted Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord. (an excerpt) I got something, an introduction to a mystery series. The latest is Blood Hina by Naomi Hirahara. (an excerpt) I won't get a chance to read check this out anytime soon but I like having it on my reading radar.

Novels written by female authors of color are at a disadvantage readers simply aren't hearing about them. That old riddle comes to mind " If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound"

Most of the novels I've discovered by female authors of color have been thanks to other bloggers. I can't even remember the last one I've learned about because of a major publication review. Vida, Women in the Literary Arts recently released the very skewed amount reviews of male and female authors in several major publication. I didn't think it was going to be good but that's just ridiculously awful.